I refrained from doing a number of things, most of them having to do with bringing harm to the madman in front of me. The best thing about this scenario was that Tandor had moved away from Bender. Not far enough, his gun was still within reach of Bender’s neck, but it was a start.
My heart gave an irregular beat as I watched this asshole torment Daze.
There was no other choice but to stand still and let it happen. A premature move would get me and my pals killed. I cleared my throat. “If you kill me, you don’t actually get the quantum drive, since I moved it to a new location, one the kid knows nothing about.” Diverting the focus away from Daze was my top priority. “I’m questioning your intelligence at this point, that you’d take a kid’s word over mine, but now’s the time to prove me wrong.”
Tandor glared at me. “You moved it.” His voice was a direct challenge.
“I already said I did.”
Jamming the barrel back on Bender’s neck, Tandor leaned over and grabbed Daze by the leg and dragged him toward the edge. “Then it won’t matter to you if I kill him or not.” He shook Daze’s leg, making his small body bounce around. “Since he doesn’t have the information I need, I don’t need to keep him alive.”
He was testing me. He didn’t know which lie to believe. “That’s correct—”
Daze lifted his face, blood streaming from multiple abrasions. The kid didn’t have very many lives left. “She didn’t move it,” he sputtered weakly. “I know.”
Daze was trying to protect me on his last few breaths. My heart skipped its regularly programmed beat.
“How could you possibly know that?” I challenged, shifting to my don’t-take-any-shit-from-anyone face. This kid needed to stay quiet. “We’ve been separated for a while now. How dumb do you think I am? Do you honestly think I’d keep it where you saw me put it after I discovered that you’re a two-faced liar who set me up to be killed after I took you in?”
“I know, because—”
“You know nothing.” I cut him off before he betrayed too much. It was clear he knew I hadn’t been able to get back to Luce after the debacle in Port Station. I’d emphasized the word nothing, hoping to get through his thick, bruised skull.
“Stand up,” Tandor demanded of Daze, dropping his leg. The zealot met my gaze gleefully, an evil look flittering over his below-average features. “I think he’s telling the truth. He knows where it is.”
Before I could respond, Daze agreed as he stumbled to his feet. “I do. Let them go, and I’ll get it back for you.”
Um, that wasn’t going to happen.
I needed a fucking distraction, like yesterday.
One would do the trick.
Lockland was still on his knees just to my left. He moved his hand ever so slightly. I saw it. He was waiting, just as I was, for that single thing that would give us the opportunity to finish this.
Tandor turned toward Bender, who was so precariously close to tumbling back over the cliff, I held my breath. “None of you are necessary now.”
I was just about to shout my argument about why we were so, so necessary when I heard a noise.
Props.
A craft was entering the area.
One of Tandor’s men called out, “That could be Martin. He hasn’t come back yet.”
I didn’t care who the fuck it was—it was our diversion.
And it couldn’t have come at a better time. As loudly as I could, I yelled, “I need a nap!”
“What?” Tandor said, his eyes distracted, pinned over my right shoulder. They began to widen in surprise, causing me to dart a glance over my shoulder.
The craft was coming in much too fast.
Approximately two seconds later, everyone realized the same thing, and there was widespread panic.
Perfect. “I said I need a nap, motherfucker.” Utilizing the chaos, I angled my toe under the handle of my gun and lofted it into the air, catching it like I had since I was twelve. “NOW!”
Bender and Lockland reacted instantaneously.
Nap was code for wait for my mark.
Lockland lobbed the hydro-bomb at the men closing in behind us, while Bender plowed a shoulder into Tandor, using his considerable strength to rock him off balance.
Tandor’s gun came off his neck just far enough.
“Down!” I screamed at both Bender and Daze as I fired my Gem, hitting Tandor squarely in the chest, the force sending him sailing backward off the cliff with a gaping hole running through his middle.
Bender was already rolling away from the edge, toward safety. He’d be up and ready to fight before my finger was off the trigger.
However, Daze’s body began to crumple before my eyes, shock settling in. I rushed toward him, my mind screaming. He was too close to the edge.
Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion, even though I knew that wasn’t the reality of the situation. Behind me, the craft was on top of us, and people were screaming. I didn’t turn around.
My eyes were pinned on Daze.
The kid had been forced to trick me, but he’d made sure he’d had insurance, and in the end, he’d been willing to forfeit his own life to protect us.
That was the very foundation that trust was built on.
His eyes rolled back in his head as I ran. His face was a mass of blood, scratches, and bruises. He was gaunt, his coloring stark and pale underneath all the scarlet. The momentum of the fall was going to take him over the side before I could reach him. I watched in horror as his legs went first, gravity tugging at them like the bitch it was.
I was so close, but I couldn’t dive for him.
My vest was still full of bombs that could blow the gorge apart. “Stay with me!” I yelled as I went down on my side, sliding along the edge of my thigh, catching his thin excuse for an arm right as his body dumped over the edge.
I twisted as I moved, hauling him up and over me as I slid precariously along the side of the cliff. His body rolled toward safety, and I exhaled.
The view from this close to the edge sucked. The water raged hungrily below, hoping I’d fall so it could get another meal. I blindly lifted my arm up, hoping someone was there. If I fell, at least the kid was safe.
Maybe in the afterlife I’d get a halo.
A large hand clasped my forearm, stabilizing me in an instant, spinning me around like I was nothing more than a doll. “Freedom’s this way, dummy.” The voice was gruff and familiar. “I didn’t think you had a death wish.”
I was out of breath, my hands splayed in front of me, my head bowed, my heart racing a million kilometers an hour, my vision blurred from all the action. I drew up on my knees and brought my gloved hands to my face, taking in a few deep breaths. Once I was collected enough, I titled my head up. “Fuck you, Bender. Can’t you see I’m having a bad day?”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
I picked Daze up, cradling him in my arms. He couldn’t have weighed more than thirty kilos at most. His body was limp. I had no idea the extent of his injuries, or if he would even make it through the night.
All I cared about was getting him to safety.
The carnage in front of me was vast. Seven sat three meters away, idling. There was blood, and limbs, and other unnamable things scattered around that I didn’t want to think about. I was hardcore, but I had limits.
Lockland and Bender stood off to the side with their arms crossed, surveying the scene. Lockland turned as I came forward. His head bobbed toward the matte black craft. “He used his props to take out the ones who stuck around. I’ve never seen that before, but it got the job done.”
“It was gruesome as hell,” Bender grunted. “But effective.”
I nodded, making my way toward the craft. I popped open the pilot’s-side door, still holding Daze, to find Case hunched over the controls, barely awake, his eyes struggling to stay open.
“Crawl into the passenger side,” I directed as I made my way around. I unlatched the door, letting it ease open on its own, and waited for C
ase to untangle himself and dump himself into the passenger seat. His movements were sluggish, but he got the job done. When he was mostly upright, I settled Daze on his lap. “Make sure you cradle his head. Does your bunker have more medi supplies than the ones in that box?” It was either the barracks or Bender’s place, which had some supplies, but not a great variety.
He nodded.
That was good enough for me.
I shut the door. Lockland and Bender were waiting on the other side. “Give me a day to try and save the kid,” I told them. “I have a pack and a duffel, along with a hydro-launcher and extra bombs that way.” I gestured into the woods as I pulled myself into the craft.
Lockland’s face was grim. “They knew where we were. They picked us up a few hours in.”
“I know.” I placed my hands around the controls, spinning up the fans, causing the craft to bounce. “It’s my fault. I’ll fill you in on everything. Just give me twenty-four hours with the kid.”
Bender’s face was dead serious. “Can we trust him?”
I turned to Case, whose head was tilted back on the seat, his eyes closed, his arms locked tightly around Daze. “For now.”
Lockland patted the side of the craft and took a step back. “I hope the kid makes it.”
I nodded. “Me, too.”
“He put his neck on the line,” Bender added. “That little shit has guts.”
“He does,” I agreed. I was relieved to find out that my first assessment of the kid hadn’t been too far off, and my gut had been right the first time. Guts were good compasses in this crazy world. It was good I could still trust mine. “I dumped my tech phones a couple kilometers back so they didn’t go off. I’ll pick them up later. When you pick up the duffels, check the ground. I emptied my pockets. I’ll meet you both at Bender’s tomorrow.” I reached my hand up to lower the door.
Before it closed, Lockland asked, “Do you really have the quantum drive?”
“I do if Luce is still in one piece.”
Lockland’s eyes brightened. “We’re going to have to get hold of a pico to read it, but whatever’s on there must be important if this guy and his crew were ready to die for it.”
“He said it was a key,” Bender added. “Whatever the fuck that means. But for us, it means we own it and need to figure it out.”
“We will,” I said. “We can worry about that later. After we get Darby sprung.”
They both nodded as I closed the door.
I took off, gaining altitude immediately, pushing Seven to her limits. I could find my way back to the bunker on my own. As I flew, Case was in and out of consciousness. If I had to, I would wake him up.
I skirted the city, opting to head straight east to the sea.
The wind was in full force, but I barely noticed. The ocean roiled to my left as I positioned Seven to hug the coast. Daze hadn’t stirred. If he had more than surface abrasions and minor cuts, there was nothing I could do. I wasn’t a medic.
We could try to shuttle him to the government facility, but with the time it would take, it would likely prove fatal. The Medi Center was always crowded and was first-come, first-served, no matter how grave the injury. Sometimes you had to wait for days. They had a few medi-pods and a few “doctors” who could perform complicated surgeries, but there were too few for the masses.
As the craft moved closer to the bunker, I began to recognize the topography of the beach. Being a pro at directions was a must as a salvager. If you couldn’t remember your previous location, you could never make it back to claim your prize. My internal directions always included landmarks, and the large sand dune coming up in front of me was my indication to turn left out over the waves.
I swallowed any trepidation I had as I redirected Seven over the tidal currents, the thunderous crashing oddly comforting this time, probably because I knew a safe haven was close by. The sea, in all its anger, meant I was that much closer to possibly saving this kid’s life.
The sky was brighter than it had been that first night, making navigation a hell of a lot easier. The craft lofted and bobbed, the turbulent air making it unstable, but I made it into the parking spot with room to spare, hitting the landing gear at the same time I popped my door. Then I leaned over and punched Case’s arm. “Wake up. We need to get the kid inside.”
I hopped out and made my way around. Case managed to spring his door, and I carefully lifted Daze from his lap. “You need to open the barricade quickly,” I instructed, bending my head over the kid’s chest, relieved to hear a shallow heartbeat, stepping back as Case stumbled out.
His legs were unsteady, but he stayed upright. He didn’t comment as he made his way to the door. Once he was in front, he waved his hand, indicating that I should stay back. “It’s rigged,” he slurred. “If I mess it up, it’ll blow.”
No surprise there.
“Here, take the kid and let me do it.” I held Daze out to him. When he seemed unsure and more than a bit confused, his brow furrowed like he was trying to figure out the very meaning of our existence on this wretched planet, I said, firmer this time, “It’s either I do it, or we all die. You’re in no shape to do anything more complicated than walk, and I’m sick of being on the edge of sudden death.” Literally physically ill, as in my stomach had been tied in knots for hours. When he still didn’t react, I reasoned, “Case, can’t you just change the code later, after I leave?” He shook his head, trying to find words, but they weren’t coming quickly enough. “Okay, fine, I’ll make a deal with you. You tell me the code, and before I leave, I’ll teach you how to rig a bomb that’s undetectable under every light spectrum. Even better, I’ll supply you with the materials, and you can run it wherever you want inside this parking ramp to protect your safe place. It’ll be foolproof as long as you’re not on the effects of a tranq dart when you get home.” He stood there, his face slack. “Case! The kid will die right here if we don’t get the fuck inside.”
His eyes pierced mine. They were clouded, but I watched as something penetrated the confusion. He held out his arms, and I slid the kid carefully in them, squeezing by to stand in front of the door.
“What’s the sequence?”
He tilted his head back. When it finally came forward, he blinked hard twice. “Two full spins to the right”—another blink—“one to the left, then back right a quarter spin”—two more blinks—“then left a half.”
I examined the wheel with four spokes. One of the spokes was darker than the rest. “Is the dark mark the starting point of the turn? And does it align up or down?” I was familiar with old-fashioned bank safes, as many people before the dark days had used them, leery of having everything in their home fully computerized due to a rash of high-end tech robberies twenty years before the meteor hit. I’d salvaged a few. Didn’t do much but use them for storage, as many were bomb-proof, made of half-meter-thick diamond-fiber composite. I understood the mechanisms.
“At the top.”
“Excuse me?”
“Align the dark spoke up.”
I held my breath and did as he instructed. Then I turned the wheel two full turns right, then one left, then right a quarter, making sure my eyes never left the mark on the wheel, then a half.
The door opened.
Case shuffled forward, handing Daze to me. He positioned himself next to the door, bracing his shoulder against the wall. He struggled to displace the thick door even a few centimeters in his sorry state. After much grunting and groaning, he finally won the battle and moved it just enough for us to slip through. I used my chin to jab on my shoulder light so we could see.
I was down the stairs and to the next door before Case closed the main one.
Once inside the cavernous room, I hit the lights with my elbow.
Laying Daze carefully on the cushioned seating, I raced over to the area where I’d seen Case get the medi supplies. I rummaged through the cupboard, removing the box he’d used, glancing inside. It wouldn’t be enough. I counted five or six medi-towels, a few n
umbing agents, and a single narco dart. “Fuck.” I set the box down and continued my frantic search of more cupboards. They were mostly empty. I turned around in frustration as Case shuffled in. “Where are all the supplies? You said this place had them!”
He motioned toward the back of the room. “There’s a medi-pod back there. In the corner.”
“What?” I rushed forward, refraining from grabbing him by the front of the jacket with both fists. “An actual working medi-pod?”
He leaned over to pick up Daze, but I shouldered him out of the way, which was easy to do since he was so unstable. “It works,” he slurred, trailing after me as I raced Daze back there, scanning the area for a medi-pod I didn’t see. They were usually tall, white, and cylindrical, spanning from floor to ceiling. There wasn’t one in sight.
“Where is it?” Frustration leaked out all over.
“It’s integrated into the wall. To your left.”
Tricky.
I finally spotted a handle sticking out behind some crates. It was labeled with a red cross, the universal sign for medical aid. “Hurry up, move those pallets,” I urged. Case complied. Thank goodness they were light and easy to relocate.
Some medi-pods only diagnosed, others healed minor injuries, some were hospital grade and could 3-D-print an organ for you, but unfortunately the tech to operate those had gone with the meteor.
I couldn’t imagine this one would heal the kid, but at least we’d know what the damage was.
Case managed to heft the crates out of the way and drag the pod out of the wall. After the initial pull, it slid smoothly on rollers. It was horizontal, not vertical, and it was adult-sized. He hit the power button on top, and the lid opened slowly on automated brackets. Once it was fully sprung, the thing lit up like an illegal residence during blackout. Multicolored lights blinked on an intricate system board, running along the lip, the inside a pulsing neon purple.
I carefully set Daze inside. “Please be okay,” I whispered as Case closed the top and pressed a green button on the side with the word Diagnosis on it.
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